Memorable teachers have a rationale or teaching philosophy that guides them to develop a learning environment that has a lasting impact on many of their students. The characteristics of such a learning environment could take years to refine in the face of many obstacles and negative pressures. Your guiding vision is an essential beacon for growing as a teacher!
How does a teacher develop a durable vision of his or her teaching. You were asked to reflect on what inspired you to teach and begin working on this vision in the first weeks of EDC 430. After observing your CT's classes, you were asked to refine this vision again at the end of the Fall semester. Now that you are a more experienced classroom teacher and are preparing to compete for a science teaching position, it is a good time to reflect on your observations and experiences that occurred over the year and refine and clarify your vision by considering these questions:
What kind of teacher do you want to be? What kind of teacher do you NOT want to be?
What lasting impact do you want have on each of your students?
What are you going to strive to accomplish in your upcoming teaching position?
How will your learning environment express your beliefs about teaching?
To prepare for this task, I have assembled some of your writings and observations along with your current teaching rationale. After considering these past writings, you can refine your rationale by clicking on the little "edit" button on the right side of the last section at the bottom of this page. If it is no longer applicable, you may choose to delete or update your iBrainstorm graphic if it is still at the bottom of your rationale statement.
Teaching Inspiration
My interest in the overall subject of science was always prevalent during my school years of both middle school and high school. I always had an interest in my science classes because of all the variety of different topics I actually learned about. Reading and performing the experiments associated with those middle school science books was always something I looked forward to doing. At that age, I particularly liked how simplified the overall topics of science were broken down, because for me, I was able to direct my focus on specific concentrations of science. I believe another main reason why I loved my middle school science classes was because it was made fun by my teachers. During these grade levels, they did a great job of hooking my interest and keeping my interest with further interactive experiments and assignments.
Transitioning to high school science, my favorite classes were biology, chemistry, and anatomy. I enjoyed going to these classes because not only were they fun and interactive with the different experiments and demonstrations, but as oppose to middle school science to a certain degree, the content was continuously reinforced. In my mind, what I was learning was making more sense to me than ever before because the reinforcement of content that coincided with the hands on experiments that were constantly being performed enhanced my scientific inquiry. I also had great teachers in high school that made class easy to enjoy. In particular, both my chemistry and anatomy teachers were not only great with teaching content, but they were also great people. Their down to earth personalities, willingness to always help, and their overall attitude in general led me to trust them significantly throughout my high school years. We quickly developed strong relationships together because I too was extremely similar to them in their strengths.
They encouraged me to continue with my great grades and always gave their support. They were special individuals who could relate and interact with students so well that I will always remember them because they had what I always described as the “it factor”. Putting their intelligence of science knowledge and content aside, they were people I could relate to because of their great attitude and personality. The way of motivating, reaching out, and connecting in such a way that allowed a mutual trust to grow between us just begins to explain their effectiveness. I know I will have the “it factor” with not only my students, but my coworkers as well, because of my overall personality when interacting with all people, my caring nature, and determined work ethic. These non-content attributes of being an overall responsible and trustworthy leader will not only be highlighted with making differences within my students’ lives, but they will also propel me to excel within the field of education. My love for the field of scientific inquiry, as well as my overall skill set when interacting with others are reasons why I will become a science teacher.
4/5 Christopher, very good account. Could be made stronger with an introduction and a conclusion. You should also look carefully at how you've organized your paragraphs, e.g. you describe your high school teachers starting in the middle of P2 and continuing into P3.- fogleman Sep 25, 2011
CT's Teaching Style
Observe a laboratory activity or base your answer on past visits. How does your CT conduct a typical laboratory activity? How does he or she open the activity and organize student groups? How do students learn what they're expected to do during the period? Reflect on your reading about inquiry and your experience with the NECAP inquiry task. How did the laboratory activity you observe prepare students for the type of activities that might show up on the NECAP in the future? What inquiry elements would you strengthen? What science practices do you want to stress when you're teaching?
Within my middle school classroom, a typical laboratory experiment will begin by my cooperating teacher demonstrating the procedure to the activity. In other cases, students will have the opportunity to review the laboratory procedures the previous night, and be ready the following school day to perform the experiment.If students have the opportunity to read their laboratory procedures the previous night at home for homework, then my cooperating teacher asks if there are any questions regarding the steps of what the activity entails. If there are no questions, students get right to work on the laboratory. In situations where my cooperating teacher does not assign any pre-laboratory review of the procedure, it will usually be demonstrated to them at the beginning of that particular class period. Usually the activity is opened with a question that incorporates proving a principle that is being learned within the content that is being covered within the course at that time. Coming into the classroom several weeks into the school year, it was not brought to my attention how students were placed in their laboratory groups. I have noticed, for the most part, students are grouped and have been working with the same people. I'm unsure if students were grouped based on where they normally sit at their desks within their rows, or if they were grouped out of student choice, or if they were grouped completely spontaneously. What I have noticed is that students have primarily worked within the same groups since I have been in their classroom. My cooperating teacher and I walk around to the laboratory benches to monitor student progress, answer any questions students may have about the activity, as well as keep students focused on the activity. Some laboratory activities that have been done take more than one class period, but others have been completed in a single forty-five minute time frame.
During many of the past laboratory activities within my middle school classroom, the introduction to the activity is always one of the most critical components to the entire activity. Without properly introducing the activity, students may be unclear of how this investigation fits into the content that they are learning. With students being so eager to perform laboratory experiments and activities, they may sometimes not follow the laboratory procedures to the inquiry activity. In introductions to these laboratory experiments, it is imperative to demonstrate and review laboratory procedures in order to minimize these student errors. Demonstrating and reviewing the laboratory procedures will not only decrease student errors, but it will also reinforce the main points of the purpose, as well as clearly display how the question under investigation will be solved. Along with the opening to any experiment, the closing is just as important. Without concluding and debriefing on how the higher order thinking question or purpose was successfully or unsuccessfully proven, then the activity would be incomplete.If time and emphasis is directed towards the opening, the procedure, and the actual experiment, then it seems the conclusion would carry the same importance. In my classroom, this will be a constant when my students are performing laboratory activities and experiments. Regarding the NECAP exam, I believe when students have the opportunity to review the laboratory procedure themselves, and then preform that procedure the following day in their science class, it increased their independence of learning and completing science inquiry. This increased independence will not only serve students well with their science course, but also on their NECAP exam. Being well prepared and equipped to solve scientific inquiry independently will also increase student confidence to do well in situations that call for working alone on science tasks.
CT's Classroom Management
In this observation, pay attention to how your teacher manages his or her classroom. What types of disruptions, if any, occur while you're visiting? How do they set the class in motion? How do they deal with interruptions (from the outside) and disruptions (from their students)? Determine whether there are students in the classes that you will teach that are especially troublesome. Ask your CT how he or she addresses these students' needs. Reflect on your "vision" of an ideal science classroom. What classroom policies will you try to implement in YOUR classroom? How does your vision align with your teaching philosophy?
During the course of the a typical school day there are disruptions that occur not only in the my cooperating teachers classroom, but also in other science classrooms that I have observed. Disruptions within the classroom call for simple discipline that end minor discipline issues. These minor discipline issues include students talking out of turn, not raising their hands when they wish to answer a question or contribute feedback, not being prepared for the beginning of class with their materials, or losing focus on an assignment when they are suppose to be working on completing a specific classroom task. Usually these minor misbehavior's and disruptions get quickly resolved, so there is not a major negative impact on the rest of the class that may cause the whole class to get off task. This is one of the many classroom management tips that I have noticed and will utilize during student teaching. Other misbehavior's that I have noticed in my middle school placement that may be considered as not a simple misbehavior would be actions that yield a detention. I have noticed frequently showing up late for class or excessively arguing with any teacher will yield detention. I have also notices students who consistently disrupt the flow of the classroom and continue to misbehave sit in the front row of the classroom. Putting these troublesome students at the front of the classroom does not allow them to distract as many students around them when they do misbehave, as well as allows them to be more focused on what is occurring at the front of the classroom ( i.e. directions, lectures, notes).
Overall, I do not think I will encounter major discipline and misbehavior issues within my middle school or high school classrooms. Since the first day I have been at both of these placements, both of my cooperating teachers strictly emphasized to students that they should be respectful and polite when interacting with me in class. Honestly speaking, thus far into the semester all students have exceeded my expectations regarding respecting me when I am in their classrooms. I believe this mutual respect and all these positive interactions will transition over into student teaching very well. If misbehavior issues do arise, I have all the confidence in myself to handle them appropriately and move on during the class. Within both of my placements, I have noticed that classroom behavior within the middle school is not as a severe as high school misbehavior. Possibilities for these differences could be the age difference, as well as the difference in communities these students go to school (urban vs suburban communities). During student teaching, ideally any student teacher or any current teacher would love as little classroom disruptions as possible. Within my classroom, policies that will be implemented to minimize disruptions and class misbehavior will be respect for all, embracing cultural diversity and the diversity of learners, as well as implementing a meaningful curriculum.These three main points are the highlighted components of my teaching philosophy and will be constant throughout the entire school year. These principles will allow success for all students, as well as success for myself when completing my beginning years of teaching.
Game of School Reflection
In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
I see the game of school being played in both of my placements. In some instances I see the teachers playing the game very well, but in return do not allow the students to play the game very well. In other cases, I see the game being played very well by both the teachers and the students. Some elements to the game of school that I have seen have frequently occurred around the time when a test or quiz in being administered. From the students side of the game, they often conveniently miss that school day and take the assessment the following school day once they have talked to their classmates to see what material was asked on the exam. From the teachers side of the game, I have seen the counter move be to give a completely different quiz or exam to spite those clever students. Another example of the game of school is the checking of homework with the"honor system". The teacher would simply ask each student out loud at the beginning of the class period if they have their homework completed. From the teachers side of the game, it is a quick and easy way to give students credit for their homework without actually grading or looking at any of their materials. From the students side of the game, they simply say they have their homework and hold up papers that look like their homework and get homework credit. Another example of the game of school that I have seen is teachers allowing students open class time to study for a big exam multiple days before the assessment is actually given. From the teachers side of the game, this silent time for students to “study” is code for “I’ll leave you alone, and you leave me alone in order for me to get some work done.” It also allows teachers the opportunity to put responsibility on students if they do not score well on these tests because of not utilizing their class study time wisely. From the students side of the game, they pretend to be busy and welcome the open class time to take a break within their school day.
Ah the game of school. Sometimes we love it. Sometimes we hate it. Some are hall-of-famers. Some are all stars. But regardless we are all players. Within the readings, many of the examples cited are realistic and are prevalent within schools today. I agree with the author when he mentions that although the game of school will continue to be played, as teachers we cannot allow it to bring a negative effect on our classroom. The game cannot be played in ways that may cause situations for students being irresponsible with their work and study habits. Likewise the game cannot be played in ways that may cause situations for teachers to be irresponsible for their work and planning habits. Although the game will be played, I think teachers cannot allow it to reach certain points that will hurt their classroom learning environment. Regarding my own approach to teaching, I believe the game of school will be attempted to be played by the students within my own classroom. Being a new educator, students will probably try as much as they can to play the game of school in their favor. However, not allowing students to play the game of school that cause irresponsible behavior in their learning process will be key at the beginning of the school year, as well as throughout the school year.
Rules of Engagement
How do you react to the definitions and guidelines for engaging students?
What strategies are you using to engage your students? To disengage your students
For engaging students, I think the article mentions good examples for incooporating rules while still keeping students engaged in the class. Having students participating in tasks that allow for meaningful learning and allow them to be focused on activities, this is time that students are not being off task. With these activities that are geared toward students experiencing hands on learning and not disrupting other students and causing behavioral problems for the rest of the class, classroom rules are better followed. To allow this to occur, the preparation for these hands on activities that promote meaningful learning is very important. As the teacher, dealing with behavioral issues can be alleviated with not allowing for these disruptions to occur by developing well developed lessons. Engaging students is also important for not only keeping classrooms on task, but for also allowing students to feel they are about the take part in interesting activities. I find myself being very passionate and enthusiastic within my teaching in order for students to "buy" what I'm "selling" to them. The way I present material and how I introduce topics has helped my students be further engaged and attentive with what is being covered in my classroom.
I agree with your point about it being important for the teacher to model passion and enthusiasm. Is this sufficient? Do you believe that you can "sell" any activity? How important to you think it is that Ss feel like they have some choices and opportunities to show their creativity? (Sidenote: Correct your typo.) - fogleman
Revise YOUR TEACHING RATIONALE BY CLICKING ON THE EDIT BUTTON BELOW
As a secondary science educator, I welcome the many great challenges that will inevitably be dealt to my classroom doors. I want the many responsibilities that are associated with a diverse group of learning levels within a science classroom setting. With students excelling at their respective learning level, they will be a part of a welcoming and safe learning environment that sponsors respect for all. In this classroom environment, they will be active within scientific inquiry through questioning and investigation. Building a meaningful curriculum that addresses and accomplishes classroom objectives will give students direction of what we will achieve, and how we will reach those achievements together as a community of learners.
With students bringing their diversity of learning, as well as their different ethnic backgrounds into my classroom, I will incorporate an atmosphere of welcomed acceptance of both culture and learning ability in order to strengthen the building blocks of their self efficacy. My secondary science classroom will have a comfortable and safe learning environment, which not only embraces cultural diversity, but also welcomes the diversity of learning styles and levels of the student body. My students, as well as my coworkers, will appreciate my motivation and work ethic when we are collaborating together to reach common objectives, as well as come to have full trust invested in me over the course of the school year.
Not only will I create a classroom environment that encourages students to ask questions, but an atmosphere will be created for students to also develop questions. If a student does not have a particular question or comment to what is occurring in class at a particular time, the classroom atmosphere that will fill the doors of my classroom will promote students to create any potential questions they may have by learning and listening to their fellow peers. With active listening to other questions and comments by their classmates, this will stimulate the development of their own thoughts that they would like to contribute to classroom discussions. Within scientific inquiry, this development of questions will serve as an avenue for critical thinking when my students are completing assignments, investigating laboratory phenomena, or reaching solutions. This development of questions also represents my students becoming independent thinkers and learners by being jumpstarted by the contributions of their peers.
Not only will I will create interactive lessons to engage my students in what we are exploring, but they will also be meaningful. Designing a science curriculum around true meaning that is directed towards the specific learning processes of students will translate into purposeful activities, assignments, and assessments that will continuously build in significance. Connections to today’s world with scientific current events will be a catalyst for not only initiating interest with my students, but for also keeping that interest to investigate why these topics are so relevant in today’s evolving world. Being reflective of how students come to their end results will be imperative for not only them, but also myself. In their learning experiences, the total journey of how they performed their scientific study is as equally important as how they reached their final conclusions. Reflection will serve as a tool to discover strengths, but also identify those areas that need improvement so they can be turned into successful learning attributes.
With the enthusiasm for the subject I love, students will come to learn and grow within the field of science as well. I will be a role model for the students in my classroom as well as the students within my school building with my great attitude and personality. The way of motivating, reaching out, and connecting in such a way with my students will allow a mutual trust to grow between us. These beginning relationships will just begin to explain my effectiveness as a difference maker within the school community. These characteristics of being an overall responsible and trustworthy leader will not only be highlighted with making differences within my students’ performance in the classroom, but it will also propel them to excel within their studies of other subject areas. This impact will also reach out to my fellow colleagues as well. My overall personality when working with others, my caring nature, and my determined work ethic will positively affect all within the school building.
Within my beginning years of teaching, continuing my own education is a goal that I will accomplish to assist in my own professional growth. As I continue to expand on my knowledge within an education program, this individual professional learning opportunity will not only benefit myself, but also the students and colleagues with whom I interact with on an everyday basis. Continuing my own learning experience will have a significant impact on my own science classroom. Continuously sharpening education strategies for improving instruction will be beneficial within my personal planning process, the facilitation of activities, as well as how science topics are presented within my classroom. Another goal I will accomplish within my beginning career in education will be participating in professional development opportunities that highlight successful methods that are being implemented in other science and technology classrooms that I can incorporate into my own classroom doors.
Immediately setting a classroom tone that promotes a safe learning atmosphere will be necessary in order to allow students to be actively engaged in their education. As students have a comfortable and positive attitude about classroom participation, learning through asking questions, as well as actively listening to their peers’ questions, this will stimulate their own learning experience. By providing opportunities for my students to succeed by creating significant activities, assignments, and assessments, an appropriate science curriculum based on reaching goals and objectives will be implemented. This classroom comfort level, learning through questioning, as well as a purposeful science program of study will be paramount throughout the school year with the students, as well as throughout my career as a secondary science educator.
Rationale Synthesis
Memorable teachers have a rationale or teaching philosophy that guides them to develop a learning environment that has a lasting impact on many of their students. The characteristics of such a learning environment could take years to refine in the face of many obstacles and negative pressures. Your guiding vision is an essential beacon for growing as a teacher!
How does a teacher develop a durable vision of his or her teaching. You were asked to reflect on what inspired you to teach and begin working on this vision in the first weeks of EDC 430. After observing your CT's classes, you were asked to refine this vision again at the end of the Fall semester. Now that you are a more experienced classroom teacher and are preparing to compete for a science teaching position, it is a good time to reflect on your observations and experiences that occurred over the year and refine and clarify your vision by considering these questions:
To prepare for this task, I have assembled some of your writings and observations along with your current teaching rationale. After considering these past writings, you can refine your rationale by clicking on the little "edit" button on the right side of the last section at the bottom of this page. If it is no longer applicable, you may choose to delete or update your iBrainstorm graphic if it is still at the bottom of your rationale statement.
Transitioning to high school science, my favorite classes were biology, chemistry, and anatomy. I enjoyed going to these classes because not only were they fun and interactive with the different experiments and demonstrations, but as oppose to middle school science to a certain degree, the content was continuously reinforced. In my mind, what I was learning was making more sense to me than ever before because the reinforcement of content that coincided with the hands on experiments that were constantly being performed enhanced my scientific inquiry. I also had great teachers in high school that made class easy to enjoy. In particular, both my chemistry and anatomy teachers were not only great with teaching content, but they were also great people. Their down to earth personalities, willingness to always help, and their overall attitude in general led me to trust them significantly throughout my high school years. We quickly developed strong relationships together because I too was extremely similar to them in their strengths.
They encouraged me to continue with my great grades and always gave their support. They were special individuals who could relate and interact with students so well that I will always remember them because they had what I always described as the “it factor”. Putting their intelligence of science knowledge and content aside, they were people I could relate to because of their great attitude and personality. The way of motivating, reaching out, and connecting in such a way that allowed a mutual trust to grow between us just begins to explain their effectiveness. I know I will have the “it factor” with not only my students, but my coworkers as well, because of my overall personality when interacting with all people, my caring nature, and determined work ethic. These non-content attributes of being an overall responsible and trustworthy leader will not only be highlighted with making differences within my students’ lives, but they will also propel me to excel within the field of education. My love for the field of scientific inquiry, as well as my overall skill set when interacting with others are reasons why I will become a science teacher.
4/5 Christopher, very good account. Could be made stronger with an introduction and a conclusion. You should also look carefully at how you've organized your paragraphs, e.g. you describe your high school teachers starting in the middle of P2 and continuing into P3.-
Within my middle school classroom, a typical laboratory experiment will begin by my cooperating teacher demonstrating the procedure to the activity. In other cases, students will have the opportunity to review the laboratory procedures the previous night, and be ready the following school day to perform the experiment.If students have the opportunity to read their laboratory procedures the previous night at home for homework, then my cooperating teacher asks if there are any questions regarding the steps of what the activity entails. If there are no questions, students get right to work on the laboratory. In situations where my cooperating teacher does not assign any pre-laboratory review of the procedure, it will usually be demonstrated to them at the beginning of that particular class period. Usually the activity is opened with a question that incorporates proving a principle that is being learned within the content that is being covered within the course at that time. Coming into the classroom several weeks into the school year, it was not brought to my attention how students were placed in their laboratory groups. I have noticed, for the most part, students are grouped and have been working with the same people. I'm unsure if students were grouped based on where they normally sit at their desks within their rows, or if they were grouped out of student choice, or if they were grouped completely spontaneously. What I have noticed is that students have primarily worked within the same groups since I have been in their classroom. My cooperating teacher and I walk around to the laboratory benches to monitor student progress, answer any questions students may have about the activity, as well as keep students focused on the activity. Some laboratory activities that have been done take more than one class period, but others have been completed in a single forty-five minute time frame.
During many of the past laboratory activities within my middle school classroom, the introduction to the activity is always one of the most critical components to the entire activity. Without properly introducing the activity, students may be unclear of how this investigation fits into the content that they are learning. With students being so eager to perform laboratory experiments and activities, they may sometimes not follow the laboratory procedures to the inquiry activity. In introductions to these laboratory experiments, it is imperative to demonstrate and review laboratory procedures in order to minimize these student errors. Demonstrating and reviewing the laboratory procedures will not only decrease student errors, but it will also reinforce the main points of the purpose, as well as clearly display how the question under investigation will be solved. Along with the opening to any experiment, the closing is just as important. Without concluding and debriefing on how the higher order thinking question or purpose was successfully or unsuccessfully proven, then the activity would be incomplete.If time and emphasis is directed towards the opening, the procedure, and the actual experiment, then it seems the conclusion would carry the same importance. In my classroom, this will be a constant when my students are performing laboratory activities and experiments. Regarding the NECAP exam, I believe when students have the opportunity to review the laboratory procedure themselves, and then preform that procedure the following day in their science class, it increased their independence of learning and completing science inquiry. This increased independence will not only serve students well with their science course, but also on their NECAP exam. Being well prepared and equipped to solve scientific inquiry independently will also increase student confidence to do well in situations that call for working alone on science tasks.
During the course of the a typical school day there are disruptions that occur not only in the my cooperating teachers classroom, but also in other science classrooms that I have observed. Disruptions within the classroom call for simple discipline that end minor discipline issues. These minor discipline issues include students talking out of turn, not raising their hands when they wish to answer a question or contribute feedback, not being prepared for the beginning of class with their materials, or losing focus on an assignment when they are suppose to be working on completing a specific classroom task. Usually these minor misbehavior's and disruptions get quickly resolved, so there is not a major negative impact on the rest of the class that may cause the whole class to get off task. This is one of the many classroom management tips that I have noticed and will utilize during student teaching. Other misbehavior's that I have noticed in my middle school placement that may be considered as not a simple misbehavior would be actions that yield a detention. I have noticed frequently showing up late for class or excessively arguing with any teacher will yield detention. I have also notices students who consistently disrupt the flow of the classroom and continue to misbehave sit in the front row of the classroom. Putting these troublesome students at the front of the classroom does not allow them to distract as many students around them when they do misbehave, as well as allows them to be more focused on what is occurring at the front of the classroom ( i.e. directions, lectures, notes).
Overall, I do not think I will encounter major discipline and misbehavior issues within my middle school or high school classrooms. Since the first day I have been at both of these placements, both of my cooperating teachers strictly emphasized to students that they should be respectful and polite when interacting with me in class. Honestly speaking, thus far into the semester all students have exceeded my expectations regarding respecting me when I am in their classrooms. I believe this mutual respect and all these positive interactions will transition over into student teaching very well. If misbehavior issues do arise, I have all the confidence in myself to handle them appropriately and move on during the class. Within both of my placements, I have noticed that classroom behavior within the middle school is not as a severe as high school misbehavior. Possibilities for these differences could be the age difference, as well as the difference in communities these students go to school (urban vs suburban communities). During student teaching, ideally any student teacher or any current teacher would love as little classroom disruptions as possible. Within my classroom, policies that will be implemented to minimize disruptions and class misbehavior will be respect for all, embracing cultural diversity and the diversity of learners, as well as implementing a meaningful curriculum.These three main points are the highlighted components of my teaching philosophy and will be constant throughout the entire school year. These principles will allow success for all students, as well as success for myself when completing my beginning years of teaching.
I see the game of school being played in both of my placements. In some instances I see the teachers playing the game very well, but in return do not allow the students to play the game very well. In other cases, I see the game being played very well by both the teachers and the students. Some elements to the game of school that I have seen have frequently occurred around the time when a test or quiz in being administered. From the students side of the game, they often conveniently miss that school day and take the assessment the following school day once they have talked to their classmates to see what material was asked on the exam. From the teachers side of the game, I have seen the counter move be to give a completely different quiz or exam to spite those clever students. Another example of the game of school is the checking of homework with the"honor system". The teacher would simply ask each student out loud at the beginning of the class period if they have their homework completed. From the teachers side of the game, it is a quick and easy way to give students credit for their homework without actually grading or looking at any of their materials. From the students side of the game, they simply say they have their homework and hold up papers that look like their homework and get homework credit. Another example of the game of school that I have seen is teachers allowing students open class time to study for a big exam multiple days before the assessment is actually given. From the teachers side of the game, this silent time for students to “study” is code for “I’ll leave you alone, and you leave me alone in order for me to get some work done.” It also allows teachers the opportunity to put responsibility on students if they do not score well on these tests because of not utilizing their class study time wisely. From the students side of the game, they pretend to be busy and welcome the open class time to take a break within their school day.
Ah the game of school. Sometimes we love it. Sometimes we hate it. Some are hall-of-famers. Some are all stars. But regardless we are all players. Within the readings, many of the examples cited are realistic and are prevalent within schools today. I agree with the author when he mentions that although the game of school will continue to be played, as teachers we cannot allow it to bring a negative effect on our classroom. The game cannot be played in ways that may cause situations for students being irresponsible with their work and study habits. Likewise the game cannot be played in ways that may cause situations for teachers to be irresponsible for their work and planning habits. Although the game will be played, I think teachers cannot allow it to reach certain points that will hurt their classroom learning environment. Regarding my own approach to teaching, I believe the game of school will be attempted to be played by the students within my own classroom. Being a new educator, students will probably try as much as they can to play the game of school in their favor. However, not allowing students to play the game of school that cause irresponsible behavior in their learning process will be key at the beginning of the school year, as well as throughout the school year.
What strategies are you using to engage your students? To disengage your students
For engaging students, I think the article mentions good examples for incooporating rules while still keeping students engaged in the class. Having students participating in tasks that allow for meaningful learning and allow them to be focused on activities, this is time that students are not being off task. With these activities that are geared toward students experiencing hands on learning and not disrupting other students and causing behavioral problems for the rest of the class, classroom rules are better followed. To allow this to occur, the preparation for these hands on activities that promote meaningful learning is very important. As the teacher, dealing with behavioral issues can be alleviated with not allowing for these disruptions to occur by developing well developed lessons. Engaging students is also important for not only keeping classrooms on task, but for also allowing students to feel they are about the take part in interesting activities. I find myself being very passionate and enthusiastic within my teaching in order for students to "buy" what I'm "selling" to them. The way I present material and how I introduce topics has helped my students be further engaged and attentive with what is being covered in my classroom.
I agree with your point about it being important for the teacher to model passion and enthusiasm. Is this sufficient? Do you believe that you can "sell" any activity? How important to you think it is that Ss feel like they have some choices and opportunities to show their creativity? (Sidenote: Correct your typo.) -
Revise YOUR TEACHING RATIONALE BY CLICKING ON THE EDIT BUTTON BELOW
With students bringing their diversity of learning, as well as their different ethnic backgrounds into my classroom, I will incorporate an atmosphere of welcomed acceptance of both culture and learning ability in order to strengthen the building blocks of their self efficacy. My secondary science classroom will have a comfortable and safe learning environment, which not only embraces cultural diversity, but also welcomes the diversity of learning styles and levels of the student body. My students, as well as my coworkers, will appreciate my motivation and work ethic when we are collaborating together to reach common objectives, as well as come to have full trust invested in me over the course of the school year.
Not only will I create a classroom environment that encourages students to ask questions, but an atmosphere will be created for students to also develop questions. If a student does not have a particular question or comment to what is occurring in class at a particular time, the classroom atmosphere that will fill the doors of my classroom will promote students to create any potential questions they may have by learning and listening to their fellow peers. With active listening to other questions and comments by their classmates, this will stimulate the development of their own thoughts that they would like to contribute to classroom discussions. Within scientific inquiry, this development of questions will serve as an avenue for critical thinking when my students are completing assignments, investigating laboratory phenomena, or reaching solutions. This development of questions also represents my students becoming independent thinkers and learners by being jumpstarted by the contributions of their peers.
Not only will I will create interactive lessons to engage my students in what we are exploring, but they will also be meaningful. Designing a science curriculum around true meaning that is directed towards the specific learning processes of students will translate into purposeful activities, assignments, and assessments that will continuously build in significance. Connections to today’s world with scientific current events will be a catalyst for not only initiating interest with my students, but for also keeping that interest to investigate why these topics are so relevant in today’s evolving world. Being reflective of how students come to their end results will be imperative for not only them, but also myself. In their learning experiences, the total journey of how they performed their scientific study is as equally important as how they reached their final conclusions. Reflection will serve as a tool to discover strengths, but also identify those areas that need improvement so they can be turned into successful learning attributes.
With the enthusiasm for the subject I love, students will come to learn and grow within the field of science as well. I will be a role model for the students in my classroom as well as the students within my school building with my great attitude and personality. The way of motivating, reaching out, and connecting in such a way with my students will allow a mutual trust to grow between us. These beginning relationships will just begin to explain my effectiveness as a difference maker within the school community. These characteristics of being an overall responsible and trustworthy leader will not only be highlighted with making differences within my students’ performance in the classroom, but it will also propel them to excel within their studies of other subject areas. This impact will also reach out to my fellow colleagues as well. My overall personality when working with others, my caring nature, and my determined work ethic will positively affect all within the school building.
Within my beginning years of teaching, continuing my own education is a goal that I will accomplish to assist in my own professional growth. As I continue to expand on my knowledge within an education program, this individual professional learning opportunity will not only benefit myself, but also the students and colleagues with whom I interact with on an everyday basis. Continuing my own learning experience will have a significant impact on my own science classroom. Continuously sharpening education strategies for improving instruction will be beneficial within my personal planning process, the facilitation of activities, as well as how science topics are presented within my classroom. Another goal I will accomplish within my beginning career in education will be participating in professional development opportunities that highlight successful methods that are being implemented in other science and technology classrooms that I can incorporate into my own classroom doors.
Immediately setting a classroom tone that promotes a safe learning atmosphere will be necessary in order to allow students to be actively engaged in their education. As students have a comfortable and positive attitude about classroom participation, learning through asking questions, as well as actively listening to their peers’ questions, this will stimulate their own learning experience. By providing opportunities for my students to succeed by creating significant activities, assignments, and assessments, an appropriate science curriculum based on reaching goals and objectives will be implemented. This classroom comfort level, learning through questioning, as well as a purposeful science program of study will be paramount throughout the school year with the students, as well as throughout my career as a secondary science educator.